Details

Reinventing Radar

Lowrance has pioneered a new standard of dome radar, first with the award-winning BR24, and more recently with the Broadband 3G Radar. The latest innovation from Lowrance breaks even our high standards. Lowrance now offers two Broadband Radar choices; the outstanding Broadband 3G Radar and the brand-new, truly exceptional Broadband 4G Radar.

Sharpen Your View

Forget everything you thought you knew about radar. The Broadband 4G Radar reinvents the standard, transforming the way you'll navigate for good. Beam Sharpening technology allows for twice the target separation resolution of a standard 18-inch pulse dome. And with 50-percent more range than the Broadband 3G Radar and superior target detection, Broadband 4G Radar delivers the ultimate in navigational safety.

The only dome radar in the world to employ beam sharpening. Now you receive the benefits of unprecedented target separation from a radome, which allows you to see the sharpest images possible when you need them most.

More Range

With 50% more true range than Broadband 3G Radar, you can see crystal clear targets at up to 32nm and inside strong storm cells at up to 17nm.

Unrivaled Short-Range Target Discrimination

With twice the azimuth resolution of any other 18" radome on the market, moored vessels, docks, channel markers and other critical targets are displayed with pronounced clarity and separation.

Zero Main Bang - Vision Where You Need It Most

Broadband Radar technology eliminates the "main bang" – obscured viewing "dead zone" immediately around the boat - associated with pulse radar. Now you can see targets close-in for the safest navigation of harbours, estuaries and marinas.

Low RF Transmission for Safe, Flexible Installation

Transmitting less than 1/5 the power of an average mobile phone and 1/10,000 the power of a typical pulse radar, Broadband 4G Radar can be safely mounted anywhere onboard your boat.

Instant Navigation

No need to wait 2-3 minutes for a magnetron to warm up. Broadband Radar technology is 100% solid-state, providing navigation in seconds with InstantOn technology.

How does it work?

Broadband Radar compared to conventional pulse radar

Conventional pulse radar uses a magnetron to generate a pulsed microwave signal that is transmitted from the rotating radar antenna. This "bang" of microwave energy is reflected off targets that it hits and returns to the radar, the time it takes determines the range and bearing. This type of radar transmission is, in layman's terms, like shouting loudly in one direction then listening to see if you hear an echo, turning your position and then repeating the process.

Broadband Radar uses a different type of technology, allowing the radar to send out a continuous radar signal. The continuous signal has a changing tone or frequency (at a much lower power than a pulse radar), and the Broadband Radar constantly listens for the change in that signal. This is more like you whispering a tune continuously and listening at the same time for the echo. This is made possible by using two antennas, one which whispers and one that listens.

The change in the tone of the transmitted radar signal (or in our example the notes of the tune) determines the time taken for the signal to reach the target and return. This time determines the range and the bearing.

Broadband Radar simultaneously receives as it transmits, unlike a pulse radar that pulses loudly then has to switch the internal circuits from transmit to receive. This causes all pulse radars to have an unavoidable "main bang" which appears in the center of the screen as a sunburst. This covers up any close targets, reducing the effectiveness of the pulse radar at short range.

Many types of pulse radar will compensate by artificially displaying a "blank" in this close-range area, which also hides any short-range targets. With Broadband Radar only sending out a "whisper," the main bang is just not there, so there is no sunburst in the center of the screen and no need for main bang suppression. The benefit of this is that close targets are not lost or hidden, with the radar able to show targets right up to the bow of the boat. This short-range performance is exclusive to Broadband Radar.

Conventional radar emits a pulse, and this pulse varies in length depending on the range. This pulse length determines the ability of the radar to distinguish between close targets on a similar bearing. Usually this can be around 80ft at short ranges and up to 500ft at longer ranges. Broadband Radar, using a continuously transmitted signal, is able to see targets as close as 6ft from the dome on the shortest scale and separate targets 30ft apart in range on the scales used for navigation.

This short-range performance is also enhanced with the minimum range scales now going beyond the conventional 1/8th of a nm range down to just 200ft with three additional scales. With Broadband 4G Radar including an additional 36nm long range scale, there are 18 range scales now available.

The outcome of this whisper technology is, better short-range detection, better visibility of close in targets and better target range resolution in comparison to conventional radar.

The better target range resolution also helps in reducing sea clutter. This is due to the radar being able to detect different targets at small range difference, much more clearly than with pulse radar.

A continuous radar wave is much easier to filter for individual targets as the echoes returned are smaller.

Pulse radar sends several waves which tend to return a single large echo that can display as one target. Broadband Radar therefore provides a far clearer display and enables detection of smaller floats or buoys in the water.